NY Surrogate: Trump Is ‘Exterminator’ Voters Want To ‘Get Raccoons Out’ (AUDIO)

Donald Trump, left, and Carl Paladino, who ran for governor of New York as a Republican in 2010, speak during a gun rights rally at the Empire State Plaza on Tuesday, April 1, 2014, in Albany, N.Y. Activists are seek... Donald Trump, left, and Carl Paladino, who ran for governor of New York as a Republican in 2010, speak during a gun rights rally at the Empire State Plaza on Tuesday, April 1, 2014, in Albany, N.Y. Activists are seeking a repeal of a 2013 state law that outlawed the sales of some popular guns like the AR-15. The law championed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been criticized as unconstitutional by some gun rights activists. (AP Photo/Mike Groll) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

New York businessman Carl Paladino, a surrogate for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, said Wednesday the billionaire mogul is the “exterminator” voters are choosing to get “the raccoons out of the basement.”

Asked in an interview on NPR’s “Morning Edition” about criticism that Trump relies on “scare tactics” to win support, Paladino blamed the media for highlighting the candidate’s flaws.

“People that get onto the Trump bus are very, very frustrated with their government,” said Paladino, who ran unsuccessfully for New York governor in 2010. “It doesn’t matter what kind of person is the exterminator, OK? They want the raccoons out of the basement.”

Paladino, Trump’s honorary co-chair in New York, is no stranger to controversy. While running as the tea party alternative to Democrat Andrew Cuomo in the gubernatorial race, dozens of emails surfaced with racist references to President Obama and sexually graphic content.

Listen to the remarks, which begin around four minutes in, via NPR:

Latest Livewire
22
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. New York businessman Carl Paladino, a surrogate for Donald Trump’s
    presidential campaign, said Wednesday the billionaire mogul is the
    “exterminator” voters are choosing to get “the raccoons out of the
    basement.”

    Dog whistle? No. Train whistle maybe.

  2. exterminator

    Words like “raccoon”, to a racist fool like Paladino, must sound subtle. But, I’m more interested in his selection of vermin extermination for his metaphor as it so directly connects to that great Trump media unmentionable, Nazis.

  3. ‘Paladino, is no stranger to controversy. While running as the tea party alternative to Democrat Andrew Cuomo in the gubernatorial race, dozens of emails surfaced with racist references to President Obama and sexually graphic content…’ THIS will help The Donald’s image among sane people…uh huh.

  4. And, of course, old fashioned slang for Black people was…

    Coons.

  5. Isn’t this the dude, that reporters were saying lost the race for Governor of New York, 30 seconds after the polls closed?

    “And the polls have just closed in New York and CBS is calling the gubernatorial race for Andrew Cuomo.”

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

16 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for paulw Avatar for dwward Avatar for sooner Avatar for tweetivism Avatar for brooklyndweller Avatar for sysprog Avatar for gelfling545 Avatar for imkmu3 Avatar for fargo116 Avatar for commiedearest Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for mantan Avatar for frankly_my_dear Avatar for pmm080 Avatar for lissa511 Avatar for ignoreland Avatar for dommyluc Avatar for spencersmom

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: